Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows updates for Day 68 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 67, go <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-67" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here</a>.<hr style="line-height: 2;"><ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Trump pauses Project Freedom briefly amid ongoing negotiations with Iran</li><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">US maintains blockade while warning of strong response if attacked</li><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Iran denies UAE attacks but warns ships against route deviations</li><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Regional powers urge diplomacy and reject force in Hormuz crisis</li><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tensions persist despite ceasefire, with military readiness on all sides.</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Araghchi arrives in Beijing for talks with Chinese counterpartPublished: May 5, 2026 | 00:23 GMT | by Web Desk&nbsp; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Beijing at the head of a diplomatic delegation from Tehran. During the visit, Araghchi is scheduled to discuss and exchange views with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments. The trip comes amid reports of progress in mediated talks between the US and Iran. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Trump pauses Project Freedom at Pakistan&rsquo;s request, seeks &lsquo;final agreement&rsquo; with IranPublished: May 5, 2026 | 23:13 GMT | by Web Desk&nbsp; US President Donald Trump has said that, at the request of Pakistan and other countries, the US will pause Project Freedom &mdash; facilitating safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz &mdash; &ldquo;for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed.&quot;&nbsp; In a post on Truth Social, the American president said that &ldquo;great progress&rdquo; has been made toward a &ldquo;complete and final agreement&rdquo; with Iran, and the two countries had mutually decided to stop the project.&nbsp; However, &ldquo;the blockade will remain in full force and effect,&rdquo; he said. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Russian and Qatari foreign ministers agree force must be abandoned in Strait of Hormuz crisisPublished: May 5, 2026 | 21:01 GMT | by AFP Russia and Qatar have agreed that any attempt to resolve the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz by force must be abandoned, the two countries&rsquo; foreign ministries said following a telephone conversation between their top diplomats, a statement posted by Qatar&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry on X reads. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed the situation in and around the strategic waterway, which has been virtually closed following the US and Israeli war on Iran. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> US vows tough response in Hormuz&nbsp;Published: May 5, 2026 | 20:51 GMT | by AFP US forces are ready to resume combat operations against Iran if ordered, Washington&#39;s top military officer said as the Pentagon threatened a &quot;devastating&quot; response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Hormuz Strait. The warnings came after Iran&#39;s powerful chief negotiator said Tehran &quot;had not even started yet&quot;, after a spate of attacks in the crucial trade route by both sides on Monday threatened to reignite the Middle East war.<hr style="line-height: 2;">Iran ready for US talks but rejects &lsquo;threats and bullying&rsquo;, president saysPublished: May 5, 2026 | 19:43 GMT | by AFP Iran&rsquo;s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains open to negotiations with the United States but will not yield to pressure, accusing Washington of using coercion and pressure while expecting Iran to accept unilateral demands, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">UK-based&nbsp;Iran International reported&nbsp; &ldquo;The problem is that the United States, on the one hand, pursues a policy of maximum pressure against our country, and on the other expects the Islamic Republic of Iran to come to the negotiating table and ultimately surrender to its unilateral demands; such an equation is impossible,&rdquo; Pezeshkian said. &ldquo;The Islamic Republic of Iran has been attacked twice during negotiations, and now again, while the path of dialogue is ongoing, we are witnessing military deployments and threats,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;They claim Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons, while they assassinated the Supreme Leader, who had issued a clear religious decree prohibiting such weapons&hellip; Iran was fully prepared in all negotiations to provide whatever global norms require to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of international law, is ready for any dialogue, but based on its beliefs, it will never submit to force&hellip; If they speak to us with logic, dialogue is possible, but the language of threats and bullying will lead nowhere,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We fundamentally do not consider war and insecurity a desirable option&hellip; we are fully ready to reach understanding with Islamic countries in the region, set common rules, and resolve all differences in the Persian Gulf and beyond through dialogue,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We do not seek any conflict with our brothers in the region, but the reality is that from American bases in some regional countries, and using their space and facilities, our schools, hospitals and infrastructure were bombed,&rdquo; he said. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Rubio says Iran operation Epic Fury over, won&#39;t shoot unless fired uponPublished: May 5, 2026 | 20:50 GMT | by AFP The United States has completed its offensive operations against Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, echoing statements to Congress nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire. &quot;The operation is over &mdash; Epic Fury &mdash; as the president notified Congress. We&#39;re done with that stage of it,&quot; Rubio told reporters at the White House. &quot;This is not an offensive operation; this is a defensive operation,&quot; Rubio said. &quot;And what that means is very simple &mdash; there&#39;s no shooting unless we&#39;re shot at first.&quot; <hr style="line-height: 2;">

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Says that, at the request of Pakistan and other countries, the US will pause Project Freedom “for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed"; Pezeshkian says Tehran remains open to negotiations but will not yield to pressure, accuses Washington of coercion, pressure while expecting Iran to accept unilateral demands.


Articles tagged with "Project Freedom"

Trump pauses Project Freedom at Pakistan’s request, seeks ‘final agreement’ with Iran

Trump pauses Project Freedom at Pakistan’s request, seeks ‘final agreement’ with Iran